Rotary disposable cigarette box



Jan. 7, 1958 J. A. POUGH- 2,818,970

ROTARY DISPOSABLE CIGARETTE BOX Filed Jan. 25, 1957 a" FIG 6 V INVENTOR. JO IN 4. 'POO'QFI) BY A 7' roems'xsg faces 20 and 30 arranged in parallel relation.

United States Patent Ofiice 2,818,970 Patented Jan. 7, 1958 ROTARY DISPOSABLE CIGARETTE BOX John A. Pough, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application January 25, 1957, Serial No. 636,258

2 Claims. (Cl. 20641.2)

The present invention relates to a cigarette box.

An object of the present invention is to provide a disposable cigarette box which lends itself to dispensing cigarettes one at a time, and one which keeps the cigarettes separate from each other and supported in such a manner that the cigarettes do not lose tobacco from their ends and are maintained in their original shapes without flattening.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cigarette box which enables the user thereof to easily withdraw a cigarette therefrom without excessive handling of the cigarette and with only a touch of the finger to the end of the cigarette, a cigarette box which lends itself to packaging by automatic machines, and one which is economical to manufacture, so as to be disposable without refilling.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following de scription when taken in connection with the annexed drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of the cigarette box according to the present invention with the protective wrapper removed,

Figure 2 is a front elevational view,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3, the dotted line indicating a partially withdrawn cigarette,

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the cigarette supporting means, and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the cigarette box with the protective wrapper removed.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the cigarette box according to the present invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and comprises an upstanding container 11 having a bottom 12, a pair of spaced side walls 13 and 14 rising from the bottom 12, and end walls 15 and 16 connecting each of the adjacent ends of the side walls 13 and 14 together.

A top 17 extends over and closes the upper ends of the side walls 13 and 14 and the end walls 15 and 16.

An upright rigid support 18 is disposed Within the container 11 with its side edges fixedly secured to the container end walls 15 and 16. The support 18 has fiat sur- The support 18 is arranged within the container 11 so that the flat surfaces 20 and 30 are parallel to and spaced from the side walls 13 and 14 respectively, with the upper and lower ends thereof parallel to and spaced from the top 17 and bottom 12 respectively, of the container 11.

An endless belt 22 fabricated of a flexible material surrounds and is freely movable about the support 18.

A plurality of tunnel members 23, each of a length less than that of a cigarette 24, are arranged exteriorly of and transversely of the belt 22, and are fixedly secured to the belt 22.

Apertures 25 and 26 are provided in the container top 17 adjacent the ends thereof and each of the end walls 15 and 16 is provided with cooperating apertures 27 and 28 adjacent the upper end of the end walls 15 and 16 registrable in turn with the open ends of each of the tunnel members 23 when the belt 22 is moved. The container 11 is provided with a slot 29 in the side wall 13 for application therethrough of a hand-applied moving force to the adjacent tunnel members 23 to effect movement of the belt 22 to bring the tunnel members 23 each, in turn, into registry with the apertures 27 and 28 in the container end walls 15 and 16.

In use, cigarettes 24 are placed in each of the tunnel members 23 by appropriate packaging machinery and suitable means is provided to apply a protective wrapper (not shown) to cover the container 11. With the wrapper removed, insertion of a finger through the slot 29 will permit the application of a hand-directed force to the adjacent tunnel members 23 to move them, together with the belt 22, about the support 18 to positions in which successive tunnel members 23 are in registry with the apertures 27 and 28 in the container end walls 15 and 16 respectively. It is to be noted that the tunnel members 23 are of a length less than the length of the cigarettes 24, but are longer than the width of the slot 29 and effectively close the slot 29 as far as exposure of the cigarettes 24 may be concerned.

The apertures 25 and 26 in the container top 17 permit the insertion of a fingertip therethrough to touch the end portion of a cigarette 24 and to apply force to the cigarette 24 to project it beyond the end wall of the container 11, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4, in which position the cigarette 24 may be received between the lips of a user. It will be seen, therefore, that the cigarette box, according to the present invention, protects the cigarettes 24 from excessive handling and holds them securely in such a manner so that they do not frictionally engage each other, and so that the cigarettes are kept in their original cylindrical or other shape and are not likely to spill loose tobacco from their ends.

What is claimed is:

1. A cigarette box comprising an upstanding container having a bottom, a pair of side walls rising from said bottom, an end wall connecting each of the adjacent ends of said side walls together, and a top closing the upper ends of said side and end walls, an upright support having a pair of upstanding flat surfaces arranged in parallel relation positioned in said container so that the fiat surfaces are parallel to and spaced from the container side walls with the lower and upper ends thereof adjacent to and spaced from the bottom and top respectively of the container, said support being fixedly secured to the con tainer end walls, an endless belt surrounding and freely movable about said support, and a plurality of tunnel members each adapted to receivingly support a cigarette arranged exteriorly of and transversely of said belt and carried by said belt, there being an aperture in one of said end walls for withdrawing a cigarette from a tunnel member when in registry with said aperture, one of said container side walls having a slot for application therethrough of a hand-applied moving force to adjacent tunnel members to eifect movement of said belt.

2. A cigarette box comprising an upstanding container having a bottom, a pair of side walls rising from said bottom, an end wall connecting each of the adjacent ends of said side walls together, and a top closing the upper ends of said side and end walls, an upright support having a pair of upstanding flat surfaces arranged in parallel spaced relation positioned in said container so that the flat surfaces are parallel to and spaced from the container side walls with the lower and upper ends thereof adjacent to and spaced from the bottom and top respectively of the container, said support being fixedly secured to the container end Walls, an endless belt surrounding and freely movable about said support, and a plurality of. tunnel members each adapted to receivingly support a cigarette arranged exteriorly of and transversely of said belt and carried by said belt, there being cooperating apertures in said top and one of said end walls for withdrawing a cigarette from a tunnel member when in registry with References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,407,746 Hagarty Feb. 28, 1922 1,419,375 Hall .a June 13, 1922 1,488,109 Geminhardt Mar. 25, 1924 

